Will i get back my Face? Asks acid attacked Russian victim

The 23-year-old Russian woman who was attacked with acid in Varanasi two days ago is in a critical but stable condition and has suffered damage to her eyes.

The woman is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the burn wing of Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. She was flown to Delhi yesterday evening in an air ambulance following a request from the Russian embassy and the Union government.

“She sustained 45 per cent chemical burns, with facial burns affecting both the eyes, chest, abdomen, back, shoulder, hand and thigh have been affected and she would require several plastic and reconstructive surgeries.

It will be difficult to say at this stage how long it will take for her to recover and to what extent. She has suffered deep sulphuric acid burns and each individual’s skin reacts differently to such injuries. It will be at least a week before we get a clear picture on her recovery,” a doctor said.

A nurse said that Yurieva wanted to know whether she would recover completely and whether plastic surgery could help get her original face back, the nurse said. She has told the staff that the attack has shaken her.

The accused, identified as Siddharth Srivastava, fled to Allahabad after the incident and was arrested after he came to visit the victim at Sir Sunder Lal Hospital, where the victim was undergoing treatment till yesterday.

“Srivastav was unhappy over the decision of the woman to return to Russia. They had a quarrel over the issue after which Srivastav threw acid on her,” Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhary had said.

A guilt-ridden Srivastav said at a press conference called by police, “I really feel shameful for my act, I don’t know whether I would ever be able to meet her in my life.”